A wall such as a vertical wall, a ceiling or a roof of a building is often lined, during renovation or new-build, in order to achieve or improve the acoustic or thermal insulation of the building or of a specific room. To do this, a dry lining (inner partition or false ceiling) is attached to lining studwork which is itself secured to structural elements of the wall that is to be lined, a set distance therefrom. A thermal and/or acoustic insulating sheet (often known as an insulation complex) is inserted between the wall that is to be lined and the dry lining.
The insulating sheet typically comprises, on the one hand, one or more layers of fibrous insulating material such as mineral wool and, on the other hand, at least one air barrier or vapor barrier membrane. This membrane is usually inserted between the layer of fibrous material and the dry lining, typically up against the lining, possibly inserted between two layers of fibrous material.
The lining studwork is secured to the structural elements of the wall that is to be lined using evenly spaced spacer accessories. Each spacer accessory comprises a main body in the form of a shank running transversally to the wall that is to be lined and to the dry lining, one end of which is provided with means for securing it to, such that it projects from, a structural element of the wall that is to be lined and the other end of which is provided with means for assembling it with the lining studwork. A spacer accessory such as this is known for example from document WO 2006/061538.
During installation, the insulating sheet is speared onto the shanks of the spacer accessories, creating numerous holes in the layers of fibrous material and, where appropriate, the membrane. This piercing of holes is particularly detrimental to the membranes because their permanent or selective sealing function is then impaired. The piercing of the membrane may also form the start of a tear which could spread if tension is applied to the membrane.
In order to offset this problem, it is known practice for the membrane to be positioned on the inside of the lining studwork, between the latter and the dry lining. The spacer accessory therefore does not pass through the membrane which can thus remain intact, at least initially.
However, this solution is only partial. Securing the dry lining to the lining studwork entails piercing the membrane using the fasteners (staples, screws, nails, etc), which, albeit to a lesser extent, impairs the sealing of the membrane.
Positioning the membrane in front of the lining studwork raises another technical problem: it leaves no gap between the membrane and the dry lining. Now, it often proves necessary to install various cables or pipes, such as water pipework, ventilation pipework, electrical or communications networks behind the dry lining. It is then difficult to conceive of running the cables and wiring accessories between the membrane and the dry lining. The cables would actually only be able to be secured suitably if openings were made in the membrane. There would also be the risk of the membrane being damaged or distorted by the cables or the trunking, fastening or connecting accessories.
Admittedly, these cables could be positioned behind the membrane, but there would then no longer be any possibility of accessing them for maintenance or for modifying the wiring setup without removing the membrane or making a hole therein. Furthermore, the cabling or wiring operations may, for logistic reasons or because of changes to requirements or technologies, occur after the wall has been lined, this likewise forcing the contractors who are not generally specialists in wall lining and insulation, to make holes in or remove the membrane.